Heretofore, a recorder and/or reproducer using an optical disc and a magneto-optical disc for a recording medium of a signal is used.
This recorder and/or reproducer is provided with a disc rotating mechanism for rotating an optical disc housed in a disc cartridge. This disc rotating mechanism is provided with a disc table on which a disc is set and a spindle motor for rotating this disc table. The disc table is provided with a centering member for fitting into a center hole provided in the center of an optical disc and a magnet for attracting a magnetic plate attached to cover the center hole of a disc on its face on which a disc is set. An optical disc is set by fitting its center hole to a centering member and attracting a magnetic plate by a magnet so that the disc can be rotated integrally with a disc table. This disc table is integrated with the driving shaft of a spindle motor and is rotated by driving the spindle motor.
An optical pickup constituting recording and/or reproducing means for recording and/or reproducing a signal on an optical disc set on a disc table and rotated integrally with the disc table is provided to the recorder and/or reproducer. This optical pickup scans the signal recorded area of an optical disc by feeding it in the radial direction of the rotated optical disc using a feeding mechanism.
A loading apparatus provided with an ejecting mechanism for setting an optical disc on the disc table of the disc rotating mechanism and ejecting the optical disc set on this disc table is provided to the recorder and/or reproducer using a disc for a recording medium.
In the meantime, in the recorder and/or reproducer using an optical disc on which a signal can be recorded as a recording medium, information such as the address of a recorded signal is placed on the catalog after a signal is recorded. Therefore, if an optical disc set on the disc table is ejected while a signal is being recorded, a signal is not recorded precisely.
If an optical disc set on the disc table is ejected while a signal recorded on the optical disc is being reproduced, smooth reproduction may be not performed next time a signal is reproduced.
Further, if an optical disc set on the disc table is ejected during recording and/or reproducing a signal on the optical disc, the optical disc may collide with the optical pickup, and the optical disc and the optical pickup may be damaged.
Therefore, an ejection mechanism wherein an optical disc set on the disc table is prohibited from being ejected during recording and/or reproducing a signal is provided to the recorder and/or reproducer using an optical disc as a recording medium.
For this ejection mechanism, the one constituted as shown in FIG. 1 is proposed. This ejection mechanism is applied to a disc recorder/reproducer for recording and reproducing a signal using an optical disc as a recording medium and is provided with first and second ejection levers 117 and 118. These first and second ejection levers 117 and 118 are attached along one side of the body 100 of a disc recorder/reproducer so that they can be moved. A grip 116 is provided to the first ejection lever 117 so that this lever 117 can be readily moved. When the first ejection lever 117 is moved along one side of the body 100 in the direction shown by an arrow c in FIG. 1, the second ejection lever 118 is moved in the direction shown by an arrow d in FIG. 1 via a transmission lever 111 for transmitting operating physical force between the first and second ejection levers 117 and 118.
As shown in FIG. 1, a turned part 115 which is at the end of the transmission lever 111 for transmitting the operating physical force of the first ejection lever 117 to the second ejection lever 118 is put between the first and second ejection levers 117 and 118. When the first ejection lever 117 is moved in the direction shown by the arrow c in FIG. 1, the turned part 115 is pressed and the transmission lever 111 is turned on the side of the second ejection lever 118. The second ejection lever 118 is moved in the direction shown by the arrow d in FIG. 1 via the turned part 115.
In the meantime, the second ejection lever 118 controls the opening and closing of a cover turned in synchronization with a cartridge holder into/in which a disc cartridge housing an optical disc is inserted and held. That is, the cover is turned in synchronization with the cartridge holder, when the cartridge holder is turned in a position in which a disc cartridge is to be set on the side of the body, the cover is turned so that it closes a part in which the cartridge is set and is locked by the second ejection lever 118, and a closed state is held. When the second ejection lever 118 is moved in the direction shown by the arrow d in FIG. 1, the lock of the cover is released and the cover is turned in the direction in which the part in which the cartridge is set is opened. This cover is turned in the above direction by a twisted coil spring provided on the turning shaft of the cover.
The transmission lever 111 is arranged on an ejection regulating lever 106 arranged in the body so that the transmission lever can be swung and the turned part 115 which is at the end is protruded from one side of a housing between the first and second ejection levers 117 and 118. This transmission lever 111 is arranged on the ejection regulating lever 106 with first and second supporting shafts 109a and 109b planted on the ejection regulating lever 106 respectively inserted into a first support hole 110a with a longer diameter in the longitudinal direction and a second support hole 110b with a large diameter. The transmission lever 111 can be moved in the direction shown by an arrow b in FIG. 1 in the range of the first and second support holes 110a and 110b and is turned in the range of the second support hole 110b with a large diameter with the first supporting shaft 109a inserted into the first support hole 110a formed as a long hole in the center. The transmission lever 111 is pressed and moved in the direction shown by the arrow b in FIG. 1 in which the turned part 115 is protruded between the first and second ejection levers 117 and 118, by a tension spring 114 stretched between a spring fitting piece 113 protruded on one side of this lever 111 and a spring fitting piece 112 protruded on one side of the ejection regulating lever 106. The ejection regulating lever 106 on which the transmission lever 111 is arranged is supported so that the ejection regulating lever can be moved in the directions shown by arrows a.sub.1 and a.sub.1 in FIG. 1 for advancing or moving back to the first and second ejection levers 117 and 118 with first and second supporting shafts 107a and 107b planted on the body respectively inserted into first and second support holes 108a and 108b with a longer diameter in the moving direction of the transmission lever 111. A rack 105 engaged with a driving gear 104 rotated by a drive motor 101 is formed on one side of the base end of the ejection regulating lever 106 on which this transmission lever 111 is arranged.
A spur gear 119 engaged with the rack 105 and a worm wheel 121 are provided on the same axis as the driving gear 104. A worm gear 103 to which the driving force of the drive motor 101 is transmitted is engaged with the worm wheel 121. This worm gear 103 and the drive motor 101 are coupled by engaging a spur gear 120 attached at the base end of the worm gear 103 with a spur gear 102 attached to the driving shaft 101a of the drive motor 101.
While an optical disc is set in the disc rotating mechanism of a recorder/reproducer to which the ejection mechanism constituted as described above is applied and a signal is being recorded or reproduced on this optical disc, the drive motor 101 moves the ejection regulating lever 106 in the direction shown by the arrow a.sub.2 in FIG. 1 and moves back the turned part 115 which is the end of the transmission lever 111 from between the first and second ejection levers 117 and 118. Even if the first ejection lever 117 is moved in the direction shown by the arrow c in FIG. 1 in this state, the second ejection lever 118 is not moved. That is, it is because the range in which the first ejection lever 117 is moved in the direction shown by the arrow c in FIG. 1 is regulated and the ejection lever 117 is not moved by distance enough to press the second ejection lever 118 when the turned part 115 is not put between the ejection levers. As operation for moving the second ejection lever 118 is regulated, the cartridge holder is turned in a position in which a cartridge is set and operation for releasing the lock of the cover turned in a position a cartridge set part is closed and locked is regulated. As a result, operation for opening the cover is regulated and operation for ejecting the optical disc set in the disc rotating mechanism is regulated.
When placing the information of a recorded signal on the catalog is completed or the reproduction of a specified and desired signal recorded on an optical disc is completed after recording a signal on an optical disc is finished, the drive motor 101 is driven to move the ejection regulating lever 106 in the direction shown by the arrow a.sub.1 in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, when the ejection regulating lever 106 is moved in the direction shown by the arrow a.sub.1 in FIG. 1, the turned part 115 which is the end of the transmission lever 111 is protruded between the first and second ejection levers 117 and 118. When the first ejection lever 117 is moved in the direction shown by the arrow c in FIG. 1 in this state, the transmission lever 111 is turned, the second ejection lever 118 is moved in the direction shown by the arrow d in FIG. 1 by this transmission lever 111, the lock of the cover which is locked in a position in which the cartridge set part is closed is released and the cover is turned in the direction in which the cartridge set part is open. The cartridge holder is also turned in the same direction together with turning of the cover and an optical disc set in the disc rotating mechanism is ejected from this disc rotating mechanism.
The disc recorder/reproducer provided with an ejection mechanism for regulating the ejection of an optical disc set in the disc rotating mechanism as described above controls the operation of the ejection mechanism using the independent drive motor. Therefore, the number of motors constituting the disc recorder/reproducer is increased, the constitution is complicated and the miniaturization of the recorder/reproducer is prevented by them.
Further, a control circuit for controlling the operation of the drive motor for regulating the operation of the ejection mechanism is required and a control circuit for the entire recorder/reproducer is complicated.